Home / History and Heritage / KNOX COUNTY COURT HOUSE/KNOX COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM
KNOX COUNTY COURT HOUSE/KNOX COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM
PUBLIC SQUARE KNOXVILLE, IL 61448
Hours
Open May – September
Sunday: 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Open 10:00am – 4:00pm during Knox County Scenic Drive
About
This building was completed in 1839 and used as the county courthouse until 1873 when the county seat was moved to Galesburg, IL. The two story building was made out of locally produced red brick. The fluting on the exterior of the Doric columns is made out of plaster. It contained six rooms on the lower floor with a broad hallway running through the center. The courtroom, jury room, and sheriff’s office were on the second floor. After the removal of the county seat, the building was used for meetings, dances, operas, and games. The east side was converted into a fire station.
The Knox County Historical Sites, Inc. formed in 1953 to restore the courthouse. Most of the interior woodwork is original made of pine and butternut. Some of the original panes of glass remain in the windows. The east room, known as the Henry Knox Room, contains two original fireplaces. The Courthouse is now home to the Knox County Museum, which encompasses the second floor, and the west room of the first floor.